News

Archaeologists in Guatemala have discovered the tomb of Lady K’abel, a seventh-century Maya Holy Snake Lord considered one of the great queens of Classic Maya civilization.

The tomb was discovered during excavations of the royal Maya city of El Perú-Waka’ in northwestern Petén, Guatemala, by a team of archaeologists led by Washington University in St. Louis’ David Freidel, co-director of the expedition.

For those in the Austin area, mark your calendars for Thursday, September 27th, at 4pm for a talk by noted Mayan literature expert, Dennis Tedlock, here at the University of Texas at Austin. More details on the lecture available after the break.

A recently discovered cave in the Oaxaca Valley contains several new and exciting examples of Zapotec visual culture, including wonderful over-life-size mud sculptures of human and supernatural figures, rock paintings, and lithics.

Time was not just a means of measuring the course of history for the Maya, it was a shaping force in their daily and religious lives. Maya inscriptions are now providing insights into Classic Maya views of time-particularly the baktun cycle and Order of Days-and its social, historical and political significance. Leading Maya archaeologist and epigrapher David Stuart, will explain how decipherment of Maya hieroglyphs has lead to a great understanding of the Maya world and the truth about 2012. This lecture is co-sponsored by Archaeological Institute of America - Houston Society and it is included in the course co-sponsored by Rice University's Glasscock School of Continuing Studies "Maya 2012: Prophecy Becomes History". Following the lecture, Stuart will sign copies of his book Order of Days.